Cafe Hitch-hike

2023-08-26

The hearing: 11 - 20.

11. The statement was 12 pages (larger font and double spaced). It took around 15 minutes for me to read. In it, I described:

a. I was respectfully making this statement to the court on behalf of my sister’s families and friends, to the best of my ability from what they’ve said and shared.

b. I described my niece’s personality and what she was like. I even went so far as to say she could be intimidating (although she stood at 5’3 and 105 lbs.) but that those who knew her best would say she was loyal, kind to others, thought of others’ feelings, and with a very strong presence.

c. The day my niece was killed, the texts her mother sent that went unanswered and that were sent right before and after she died.

d. The sense of denial, shock, outrage and confusion people felt when they found out Arielle really was murdered and in a house fire. I briefly mentioned some other acts of violence that happened shortly before or during it (oh, multiple things took place according to the autopsy). I described what it was like to not have all the information about the case, having to keep what was received secret, and that it happened over 1,000 miles away from Arielle’s family. I described the shock and horror felt by her family and mother.

12 I described the aftermath of it all: people were depressed, angry, wanting revenge, and felt extremely confused. Some felt sympathy but some wanted full vengeance. I summarized conversations and thoughts people shared about that. My sister and her family were suicidal (but I didn’t say it was them or put names to these details), and Arielle’s father was so depressed he couldn’t clean or feed himself, or even drink water. A’s cousins and friends her age felt sad because of the life events they’d miss, and they already had many deaths of people their age. They probably learned too early that the world can be a hostile place and that not everyone can be trusted.

I described that the family had deaths right before she died (yeah, I processed a shit load of grief right before that). I didn’t exaggerate when I said I was afraid of 2020 because it seemed we had a pattern where someone in the family died every year. Hell, I made a statement at one point that I was describing this without being overly dramatic.

13. Speaking of trust, I mentioned more than one that Ariel died at the hands of someone her own age (people thought he was older) and someone she thought was her friend and because of people she trusted (small detail: she moved to Orlando partly cos an older woman claimed she could live with her, and she could but for a pretty steep price so she was on the streets for a while and the defendant looked after her).

14. I heard later that the defendant and his people teared up the first time when I mentioned he was her friend, they were the same age, and she trusted him. He could not look up for the rest of the statement, his neck was bent at what looked like a 90 degree angle. At the end of the hearing, he was shuffled out of the courtroom with this guards and his head was still down.

15. At the end of the larger parts of the aftermath, I expressed hope of some sort: hearts wouldn’t harden, people would get the help they need, that no one will decides to take their own life (cos this could still happen), and grateful that no one has pursued revenge (at least so far). Reactions were intense, but as far as I knew, they were pretty normal if not reasonable reactions to this type of loss.

16. The last quarter of the statement described the mix of emotions felt by so many, but that everyone felt A or no one served that type of end, and for their loved ones that lived with the aftermath. I mentioned how her name and image was included in the OCS’s YouTube video montage of the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims on September 25. I’ll never forget that the court clerks and at least 2 of the sherrifs I could see were visibly moved when this was mentioned.

I added I was horrified that so many people in the region had their lives end this way and also that so many people had to live with what my family experienced. I said I hoped at some point that the hatred and violence in all of its forms would stop. I heard a sob from the defendant’s side when I said this (yes, they cried more than once throughout the statement).

17. I finally said this was a loss for everyone, including the defendant who lost his freedom and many choices he could had made. I thanked the court, the police, the detective, and those who “gave their dedication and service to this case” (yes, I was being honest, they really did they best they could). I thanked the court for giving the opportunity to make the statement and for the case to come to a close.

18. The judge made the decision. The pressure was considerably lessened in the room and was replaced with a sense of sadness, grief and perhaps sympathy for everyone. Even the cops softened up; their semi-high alert postures were replaced with nods and softer looks of sympathy. The thug-looking guards with the defendant still looked the same but they both sent the same nods and looks.

19. When we left the courtroom, many hugs and assurances were exchanged. There weren’t as many tears. I really choked up and shed a few tears, and Detective S. touched me and gave me a hug (she was blond, a tad chunky, and I could feel her kevlar vest), but it still felt assuring and comforting.

20. We went to the neighborhood and saw the damn house one last time. I wanted to leave because I was afraid we’d get jumped. However, a few neighbors came out and expressed the same kindness and sympathy.

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